


Snapshots In The Lives That Were and Were Not

by cordeliadelayne



Category: Primeval
Genre: F/M, Getting Together, Happy Ending, honestly, mentions character deaths, some light angst though, staying together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-05
Updated: 2016-09-05
Packaged: 2018-08-12 23:56:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 890
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7954051
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cordeliadelayne/pseuds/cordeliadelayne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There are many different lives, in many different universes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Snapshots In The Lives That Were and Were Not

**Author's Note:**

  * For [reggietate](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=reggietate).



> Written for reggietate, who gave me the prompt “don't leave me”.
> 
> Originally posted to Livejournal in 2011.

“Don't leave me,” Jenny gasped, her lungs burning. There wasn't enough oxygen, enough time, enough hope. She could feel the weight of the air, pressing down on her, stealing her future.

“Jenny...” Cutter said, then stopped, torn. The hand-held detector had fallen from his grasp when the earth shook, trapping Jenny inside the cave they'd sheltered in, and him on the outside. If they were going to find a way out, they needed it. He _had_ to go and get it. But he had to stay with Jenny too – there was no way that he could leave her when she was so frightened.

“Please, stay,” Jenny said. “I think there's something in here with me,” she added in a whisper.

Cutter's heart stuttered. No choice at all then.

“I'll stay.” He reached through the gap in the boulders and held on tight to her outstretched hand. “I won't let you go.”

Jenny's answering smile was as bright as the sun, and gave Cutter renewed hope. The others would find them and they'd be okay. Maybe he could even start moving some of the boulders out of their way himself. Anything except stand there and watch Jenny frighten herself any more.

“Tell me,” Jenny said, stuttering slightly. “Tell me about Claudia Brown. Am I really like her?”

Cutter tightened his grip on Jenny's hand. “You're both extraordinary,” he said. “Both good people. Caring and warm and beautiful. And both far too sensible to put up with the likes of me.”

“I don't know,” Jenny said, after a long moment. “I don't think I'm that sensible.”

* * * * *

“Don't leave me,” Cutter said, pulling Jenny close. She leaned into his embrace as they glided across the dance floor. Cutter had to admit, the dance lessons Abby had forced him to attend were really paying off.

“I'm not going anywhere,” Jenny said. She held up her hand above Cutter's shoulder to better admire her diamond wedding ring. “Jenny Cutter has a nice permanence to it, I think.”

Cutter flushed red with happiness and dipped Jenny so that her hair fell about her face. She started laughing as the guests whooped and clapped.

“Together, always,” Cutter laughed. “That sounds perfect to me.”

* * * * *

“Don't leave me,” Jenny said, hands grasping at Cutter's. “I'm only here because of you.”

Cutter blinked, but already the light was fading from his eyes. “I'm sorry,” he whispered, before his eyes closed for the final time.

“Not your fault,” Jenny sobbed. “Not your fault.”

She looked up as the volcano erupted again and prayed that her own death would be as quick.

* * * * *

“Don't leave me!” Cutter shouted, but Jenny just laughed as if he were the most amusing man in the world.

“I'll be back later,” she said, and then closed the door, not, Cutter noted, bothering to lock it after her.

Cutter swore and then tried to pull his hands free, but the handcuffs held annoyingly tight. He couldn't believe that he'd let himself be talked into this situation in the first place, but Jenny had seemed so determined that he'd given in to the inevitable. In fact he'd never have imagined that one lunch date would lead to two more, and drinks and then dinner and the idea that maybe he wasn’t a dried up old man with no hope of ever getting over his ex.

And now he was half naked and handcuffed to the chair in his office. And praying for a quick release.

* * * * *

“Don't leave me,” Jenny said, lacing her fingers with Cutter's.

“I won't,” Cutter said, grinning. In fact he hadn't been able to stop grinning for weeks and weeks, much to the alarm of his work colleagues. They weren't really used to seeing a cheerful Cutter, though Stephen had informed them that he used to have quite a good sense of humour, Before Helen.

Jenny smiled at him and tried to force herself to relax, perfectly aware of how important everything going well today was for her partner.

“There you go,” the nurse said to them. “There's your baby.”

Cutter leaned forward, his eyes practically bulging out of his head. He never thought he'd have this moment. Not at his age. “It's amazing.”

“Do you want to know the sex?” the nurse asked.

Jenny looked at Cutter, who shrugged. He'd do whatever she wanted, though his fingers itched to know. “Yes, please,” Jenny decided for them. She'd had more than enough of secrets these past few months.

“You're having a boy. He looks perfectly healthy too.”

“A boy,” Cutter repeated, awestruck and a little dazed. His fingers tightened around Jenny's until it was almost painful enough for her to say something.

“Stephen,” Jenny said, tears prickling at her eyes. “We can call him Stephen.”

Cutter nodded, too overcome to speak.

* * * * *

“Everyone,” Lester said to the team, “I'd like to introduce you to our new PR guru, Miss Jennifer Lewis. She'll be making sure we have no more embarrassing articles appearing in the local press.” He glared at Cutter, who glared back and was only restrained from saying something by Connor's pleading eyes.

“Nice to meet you all,” Jenny said, striking a pose in front of what she saw as the most unconventional collection of people she'd ever seen. “Now, who's going to tell me exactly what it is you do here?”

Cutter volunteered with relish.


End file.
